Mail-bag-handling apparatus.



HIP. BRUNKENHOEFER. HAIL BM! HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1913.

1 )78 768 Patented Nov. 18', 1913.

6 BHEBTS-8HBET 1.

WITNESSES W 5 1 Am 1N VEN T OR H. F. BRUNKENHOEPER.

MAIL BAG HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mumv, 1913.

5 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

S H. I. BRUNKENHOE FER. MAIL BAG HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIdN FILED MAB-.27, 1913.

Patented Nov. 1&1913.

6 BHBBTHHBIT 3.

[NVENTOR WITNESSES H. F. BRUNKENHOEFER. MAIL BAG HANDLING APPARATUS.

' APPLIOATION FILED MAB.27, 1913. .1 ,O78,768 Patentmil Nov. 18, 1913.

Q X QT at; 3:5;-

WITNESSES INVENTOR H. P. BRUNKENHOEFER. MAIL BAG HANDLIHG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED M11127, 1913.

1,078,768. Patented Nov. 18, i913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

INVENTOR balls -17 suitably fastened to the cord 16.

The bag to be caught is supported by the [arranged along the railway track. As the car moves past the striker arm, the adjacent I slot 14 the arms 13 can catch the Y On opposite sides of the arms 13 extend on 0 posite sides of the fastening member of't e bag 15 and guide the same to the adjacent slot 14. The end wall of the slot '14 engages the cord 16 and positively moves the same and accordingly the bag 15 oflof the lugs 18, the bag being supported and held by' the arms 13 'at'the by reason of the fact that the ad-. j'acent ball. 17 rests above and onthe'arms. As is well known, a car vibrates consider abl as it travels, and'for this reason a plurallty of the balls 17 arefprovided so that astening'member of bag 15 from various heights. It might be stated that the catching or supporting member 12 is fastened to the projecting arm .6 against lateral movement by reason of the fact that a T-sha'ped slot 21 engaging the supporting arm is provided on the catching or,supporting member 12.

extend verticallyin' the catc ing or supporting member slots designated 22 over which are arranged to extend the outer ends 23 of a slidable lock member in the form of a toothed rack 24: Itwill be noted that the upper' face of the ends 23 are fiat or plane.

- The mail-bag to be delivered from the car 7 may be of the type'shown in Fig. 10, and

therein the bag proper is designated 25 and has a suitable fastening member 26 shown in the form of a link. When this bag 25 is fastened in position to be discharged from the car, its link 26 extends through the proper slot 22 and the end 23 adjacent said slot extends through the link andsupports the link in the manner shown best in Figs. .5 and 6.

Upon thecatching or supporting member 12 is pivoted to suitable lugs 27, a gear member 28 provided with teeth adapted to mesh with those of the rack 24.. This gear memher is shown in the form of a segment and is provided with a projecting member or arm 30. For the purpose of normally maintaining the arm 30 in vertical position, and the ends 23 over the slots 22, a return spring 31 is provided and is fastened'to the arm 30 and to one lug 27. When the parts are folded against the car as in Fig. 4,1t may be desirous-to fold arm 30 flat to a plane substantially parallel with that of the arms 13,

' and to this end the lug 27 to which spring 31 is attached, is of such length as to render the spring inactive for return purposes when folded to the parallel plane referred to. Arm30 rojectihg arm 6 is arranged so that in the travel w lljflstrikethe arm 19 which will accordingly shift arm 30, and through the intermeshing of the gear teeth thereon and those of therack 24, slide the rack 24 to such extent as to movecthe end 23 in engagement with the-link 26, from engagement with said link whereu on the bag 25 previously supported will" all by gravity therefrom and thus be. discharged from the car.

- Troughs 32 are provided to catch the bags of. the car past striker arm 19, said am 30 discharged as described which are best shown in Fig. 7. These troughs lead to and enter suitable chutes 33 and referably have inclined side walls 34 which converge between the' chutes. Said chutes 33 lead to a. suitable receptacle 35 which is preferably provided with a door 36 locked at 37, by means of which access to the interior of receptacle 35 may be had in order-t0 remove the mail-bags contained therein. The

troughs, chutes and receptacle aresupported in any suitable manner as by means of posts 38 and brace rods 39, as shown inthe drawings, the receptacle 35 it will be noticed, is arranged above the ground. This form of receiving means will effectively shield the mail bags or .pouches against the entrance of Wat-ensuch as rain water, and fires which frequently occur from burning grass along a railway track. v

In Fg'll a modified form ofreceiving.

means is provided and'whichmight be desirable in some instances, inasmuch as it can be more cheaply manufactured than the form shown in Fig. 7. Inthis figure 40 designates the receptacle, 41 the troughs, and 42 the supportpostysaid. parts40, 41

.and 42 being the equivalent ofthe parts 35, 34 and 38. respectively, of Fig. 7. I

Means is'providedwhereby the catching or supporting member may be slid longitudinally of the projecting arm 'relatively to the car to facilitate the fastening of a bag thereon and toremove a caught bag fromthe slots 14. To this end a pull member or rod 43 is pivoted at 44 to the catching or supporting me ber. At the inner end of the pull member '43-extend at right angles thereto arms designated 45 and 46, the former of which may engage an opening or slot 47 provided in the projecting armor more specifically its handle 11.' Whenthearm45 is in engagement with the slot 45' as shown in Fig. 3, the catching or supporting arm is projected from the car and in position to catch a mail-bag and deliver the 'mail-bag supported thereby. This projected position is also well illustrated in Fig. 1. Pull member 43 may be raised vertically to disengage the arm 45-and slot 45' so that the member 43 may be pulled to slide the catching or supporting member longitudinally of the projecting arm. In order to maintain the .rod 43- in position always accessible. from no)" i use 1o supported'in the slot-of arnr 48. Thereupon arm-1:1 is depressed which accordii'lgly moves the arm 8 from engagement'with the bracket 9; S that the apparatus cadtheu he slid longitudinally of bar'or rod Qto the desired extent Through further depression of arm 11, the apparatus is brought to the vertical position. In such position the parts are fa'ste'nedth-rough the engagement of'the arm 46 with a hook 49 of a bracket fastened to the'ca r at the doorway thereof; To guard against sliding of the catching or supporting member oil, of projectingarm 6 in case of damage to any of the parts, as by-bre'akage or injury to pull memberdd, an abutting member 51 is fastened in any suitable man ner to the projecting arm 6. This member as shown consists of a cotter pin fastened in a suitable opening in the projecting armand whose head projects 01' extends above the arm.

In briefly reviewing the operation of the parts, it will bestated that the parts when not in use are supported vertically against the side of the car as in Fig. 4, through the j order to bring these parts to position so that the mail-bagmay be supported therefrom engagement of arm 46 with the hook 49. In

by the proper end 23, the arm is is disengaged from the book 49 and thereupon arm 11 is depressed until the supporting arm is brought to a substantially horizontal position, whereupon it is slid to the proper extent longitudinally of rod 2 to position where arm 8 is opposite the slot otbracket 10, whereupon arm 11 is released and the projecting arm will be supported in this position by the engagement of'a'rm with the bracket. in this position the catching or supporting member will be located adjacent" the door of the car and in position best facilitating the fastening of a bag to be discharged thereon. After fastening said bag,-

rod 43 is pushed outwardly in order to an I range the catching or supportmgmember m projected position. Upon such position being gained, arm 45' is entered in slot 46, whereby the catching or supportmg member 12 is rigidly fastened in such posit-ion. As the train or car moves'or travels, the bag such as 15 is caught in; the proper slot 1 4: by the engagement of the slot with the flexible member 16 and enlargements 17. As to" the bag to be discharged, arm 30 during such movement or travel of the car strikes the striker arm 19 which accordingly s'hifts the moieties with throughthejntr fir-r sting:- of itsteethi with those o1} iii-cracker lock 'inember"24,,slides= the look member so Ti h e snft ie' sfie Wilt lt by e s" onto" the. chutes 32 or 41: accordingto the in Figs. 1 and 7, thebags orp'ouches pass mediately of the receptacles and trough through the-chute .33. After arm 30 movespast striker arm 19, return spring 31 restores' the' same to normal positionwhere the lock member or more specifically the" ends 23 thereof. extend over the-openings 22. Upon removing the caught bag from the catching or supporting member 12, rod .43 is pulled inwardly to bring the member'lQ to a better position for removal of the" bag As to the bag delivered to the receptacle 35;

locking the' door 36.

the same" may be readily removed'upon un- Many changes in the details of construction of the device'describedherein, may ,made within the spiritand scope of the appended claims, andhence are reserved. 7

Having thus described my said Invent-ion,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1'. In handling apparatus, a projecting an arm on said shifting member, said support provided with a slot receiving said arm,

member, a support member slidable thereon, a shifting member for said support member,

a guide member, said guide member provided with an elongated slot through which said shitting member passes.

2. In handling apparatus, a support mem ber, aslidable lock member thereon provided with teeth, a gear member provided with teeth in mesh with said teeth, and means 'engageable with said gear member to shift the same and accordingly the lock member. 3. in handling apparatus, a'support memher provided with a slot, at slidable lock member mounted to extend over said slot, teeth on said lock member, a gear member having teeth in mesh with said teeth, an arm on said gear member, a return. spring operatively connected. tosaid arm, in combine tion witha striker member engageable by; said'arm.,, 4. A mail hag handling apparatus including a projecting member comprising an arnr having a reinforcing rod" formed longitudinally thereon, a bag supportin member conforming to theconfiguration oi said .pro jecting member and slidably arranged there with, means for operating said supporting member on said projecting member, a' 'gear plate slidably mountedfon said support, a-

handle carried by purpose specified.

v is

5. A mailbag handling apparatus includ ing a bar, a hub rotatably and slidably' arranged on said bar,'an arm radiating from opposite end of said pull member, outwardly diverging arms formed on said support, said support member provided with a pair. of openings one of which is arranged on each side of said arms, a rack bar slidably mount ed on said support member over said openings,,'the opposite ends of said bar being' smooth and adapted for engagement with t-heniail bag, a segmental gear meshing with said rack bar, and a handle associated with said gear for facilitating the operation thereof.

6. A mail bag handling apparatus including a bar, a hub rotatably and slidably arranged on said bar, an arm radiating from said hub. a longitudinally extending rib ber proi ided with a pair of openings theref olzmed on said arm, a bag supportlng inelliher slidably arranged on said arm, said memin, a pull member the one end of which is pivotally engaged with said support member, for operating the latter, arms formed on the opposite end of said pull member, a rack bar s-lidably' mounted on said support memher over said openings, the opposite endsof said bar being smooth and adapted for en-, gagementwith the mail-b'g, a segmental gear meshing with said rack bar for'operating the same .on said support member, a handle extending from said segmental gear, a hook carried by the upper end of said handle, and aspring the one end of which is in engagement with said hook and the'opposite end engaging with said support memher for the purpose specified.

' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY F. BRUNKENHOEFER. Witnesses: 1 En. N. Ks'rcnmu, JOHN FOLK. 

